Certain Granby residents may get abatement in fire district taxes

GRANBY – The Granby Fire Department will hold a meeting on Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. at the Granby Senior Center, 10 West State St., to talk about a possible abatement of the fire tax for certain Granby residents.

The issue affects people who live in the area of Route 116 around Graystone Avenue and Gagne’s Package Store.

Because of the geography of Granby and South Hadley, “the fire district boundaries overlap,” said Granby Fire Chief Russell Anderson.

As a result, residents in that pocket of Granby pay taxes both to the Granby Fire Department and to the District 2 Fire Department of South Hadley, based at 20 Woodbridge St.

Some residents have complained about the tax situation, said Anderson. Others seem to be untroubled by the double dose of safety.

State representatives Ellen Story and John Scibak and state senator Gale Candaras are scheduled to attend the meeting, which was originated by the Granby Selectboard.